Resolving Multielement Semiconductor Nanocrystals at the Atomic Level: Complete Deciphering of Domains and Order in Complex CuαZnßSnγSeδ (CZTSe) Tetrapods.

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with high elemental and structural complexity can be engineered to tailor for electronic, photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and battery applications etc. However, this greater complexity causes ambiguity in the atomic structure understanding. This in turn hinders the mechanistic studies of nucleation and growth, the theoretical calculations of functional properties, and the capability to extend functional design across complementary semiconductor nanocrystals. Herein, we successfully deciphered the atomic arrangements of 4 different nanocrystal domains in CuαZnßSnγSeδ (CZTSe) nanocrystals using crucial zone axis analysis on multiple crystals in different orientations. The results show that the essence of crystallographic progression from binary to multielemental semiconductors is actually the change of theoretical periodicity. This transition is caused by decreased symmetry in the crystal instead of previously assumed crystal deformation. We further reveal that these highly complex crystalline entities have highly ordered element arrangements as opposed to the previous understanding that their elemental orderings are random.

Sequential Activation of Two Pathogen-Sensing Pathways Required for Type I Interferon Expression and Resistance to an Acute DNA Virus Infection.

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), its adaptor MyD88, the downstream transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), and type I interferons (IFN-I) are all required for resistance to infection with ectromelia virus (ECTV). However, it is not known how or in which cells these effectors function to promote survival. Here, we showed that after infection with ECTV, the TLR9-MyD88-IRF7 pathway was necessary in CD11c(+) cells for the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes (iMos) to the draining lymph node (dLN). In the dLN, the major producers of IFN-I were infected iMos, which used the DNA sensor-adaptor STING to activate IRF7 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling to induce the expression of IFN-α and IFN-ß, respectively. Thus, in vivo, two pathways of DNA pathogen sensing act sequentially in two distinct cell types to orchestrate resistance to a viral disease.

Enhancing Diagnostic Precision with Utilizing Combined CRP and IL-6 Testing for Deep Vein Thrombosis Detection Post-Endometrial Cancer Surgery.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis is a common complication after surgery, particularly in cancer patients, necessitating efficient diagnostic methods for timely intervention. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential of combining C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) tests in diagnosing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following endometrial cancer surgery. Methods: A cohort of 60 patients who developed DVT post-endometrial cancer surgery and were admitted to the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University between March 2018 and March 2022 constituted the DVT group. Additionally, 60 patients who underwent endometrial cancer surgery during the same period but did not develop DVT formed the non-DVT group. Serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were quantified and compared between the two groups using reliable laboratory techniques. Subsequently, the diagnostic accuracy of single-parameter testing (CRP or IL-6 alone) versus combined testing (CRP and IL-6) for postoperative DVT was assessed. Results: Analysis revealed significantly elevated levels of CRP and IL-6 in the serum of patients in the DVT group compared to those in the non-DVT group (P < .05). Furthermore, combined testing of CRP and IL-6 exhibited heightened sensitivity (0.85%), specificity (0.917%), and area under the curve (AUC) (0.952) compared to single-parameter testing alone, indicating its superiority in diagnosing postoperative DVT. Conclusions: The combination of CRP and IL-6 testing presents a promising diagnostic strategy for identifying postoperative DVT in endometrial cancer patients. Implementing this approach in clinical practice could facilitate early detection and prompt management of DVT, thereby potentially reducing associated morbidity and mortality.

[Potential pathways for traditional Chinese medicine intervention in diabetic kidney disease: macrophage polarization].

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD) is a prevalent and severe microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). Chronic microinflammation is an important factor exacerbating renal tissue damage in DKD individuals. Macrophages play a crucial role in immune-inflammatory responses, and they can transiently and reversibly polarize into the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype based on microenvironmental differences. The imbalance in M1/M2 macrophage polarization can exacerbate DKD progression by fostering inflammatory cytokine aggregation in the glomeruli and renal interstitium. Therefore, restoring the balance of macrophage is a pivotal avenue to ameliorate the chronic microinflammation state in DKD. Macrophage polarization is a complex and dynamic process. Various information molecules and cytokines involved in the polarization process play important roles in regulating phenotypes during the progression of DKD. They are closely related to various mechanisms such as metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, and mitochondrial autophagy in DKD. By coordinating the inflammatory responses through polarization, they play a key role in regulating inflammation in metabolic-related diseases. The complex network of pathways involved in macrophage polarization corresponds well with the multi-pathway, multi-target treatment model of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Active ingredients and formulas of TCM can intervene in DKD by regulating macrophage polarization. Studies on relieving renal inflammation, repairing renal tissues, and promoting renal function recovery through macrophage polarization modulation are not uncommon. Therefore, based on exis-ting evidence, this study reviews TCM in targeting M1/M2 macrophage polarization balance to improve DKD, aiming to explore the potential of macrophage polarization in regulating DKD, which is expected to provide evidence support for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of DKD with TCM as well as the exploration of its biological mechanisms.

First Report of Mucor inaequisporus Dade (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) causing Postharvest rot of Strawberry Fruit in Kunming, China.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an important and very popular fruit around the world because they have unique taste, special fragrance and rich nutrition (Hashmi et al., 2013; Neri et al., 2015). However, mature fruits have the characteristics of smooth texture, high softening rate and re-breathing rate were easily infected by various pathogens (Lara et al., 2004). In June 2022, a few postharvest strawberry fruits were found to rot, soften and cover with a green or yellow mycelium in Kunming city, Yunnan Province (25°02' N; 102°42' E), southwest China. The symptoms of fruits initially observed a tiny white mycelium and water damage, then the mycelium became yellow, with water-soaked areas extended rapidly. Eventually, the entire fruit was covered with yellow, dense mycelium (Fig. 1A, B). The incidence of this postharvest decay in strawberry fruits ranged from 35 to 45% and caused serious loss. This pathogen was isolated from diseased fruit tissues, transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) and malt extract agar (MEA), and incubated in the dark at 25 ± 1 ℃. Then purify and separate again. Four pure strains (BDFM1 to BDMF4) were obtained and stored in 15% glycerol at -80 ℃ in the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources Room 1012, Yunnan Agricultural University. On PDA, the colonies were initially white and the reverse was light yellow, after 5 days, the hyphae became golden yellow, and the diameter of the colony reached 5 cm (Fig. 1C). On MEA, the colonies were initially light yellow, and after 4 days, yellow-orange and the reverse were yellow to dark yellow (Fig. 1D). Unbranched sporangiophores are up to 26.7-30.8 µm diameter with columellae frequently pyriform, oblong or ellipsoid, obovoid (43- 60 × 90-135 µm), colorless or yellowish (Fig. 1E), simple or with long or short sympodial branches. Sporangia yellow, globose or subglobose, 55.3-123.7 µm in diameter, wall echinulate, which are spherical formed at the top of the main sporangiophore and each branch (Fig. 1F), Sporangiospores yellow, which are spherical (5.0-8.5 × 5.5-9 µm), oval (21.5-7 × 11-20 µm), thin and smooth-walled. To further identify the fungus, the total genomic DNA was extracted from four strains using the CATB method (Aboul-Maaty & Oraby, 2019). The partial fragments of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and partial 28S rRNA gene sequence were amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4, and LR0R/LR5 respectively. These sequences of strains BDFM1 to BDMF4 were uploaded to NCBI GenBank as accessions ON951610, ON951611, ON951612 and ON951613, OP430532, OP430533 OP430534 and OP430535. Using NCBI's BLASTn tools, the nucleotide sequences of strains showed 96.12 - 99.21 % identity to JN206177 (M. inaequisporus strain CBS 496.66). BDFM1 to BDMF4 isolates were used to MEGA11 construct a phylogenetic tree. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses (Fig. 2) and phylogenetic tree from Bayesian method (Fig. 3) further confirmed the results. Pathogenicity tests were conducted with healthy strawberry fruits. We selected two stains (BDFM1, BDFM2) from four same isolates for this test, cultured on MEA for 4 days, then washed with sterilized water and the spore suspensions were adjusted at 1.0 × 106 spores/ml. Ten fruits were surface-disinfected with 75% alcohol for 15 s, rinsed with sterile water 3 times, then air-dried, and sprayed with the spore suspension on the surface, while the control fruits were sprayed with sterile water. The fruits were incubated at 26 °C with 90% relative humidity in a plastic container. This test was performed in triplicate. After 2 days, the fruits sprayed with the spore suspensions showed light yellow hyphae (Fig. 1H), which covered one-third of the fruit surface (Fig. 1G). After 4 days, yellow-orange mycelia covered the entire fruit, with yellow oil-droplets at the tip of the mycelium (Fig. I). Control fruits remained healthy. The fungus was re-isolated and identified as Mucor inaequisporus thus completing Koch's postulates. Mucor inaequisporus was identified by symptoms, morphology (de Freitas et al., 2021), rDNA-ITS sequence analysis, and pathogenicity test. As we know, this is the first report of M. inaequisporus on strawberry fruits in China.

First Report of Cladosporium tenuissimum causing Postharvest rot of Elaeagnus conferta Fruit in Kunming, China.

Elaeagnus conferta Roxb. is a perennial evergreen climbing shrub and is mainly native to India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and South China (Gupta & Singh, 2021). Various parts of this plant are used to treat multiple diseases(Gupta et al., 2021). Between during the months of March and April of 2021, in Kunming city of grower fields, Yunnan Province (N 25°02'; E 102°42'), southwest China. Some postharvest E. conferta fruits showed brown spots of decay with a greyish mycelium, which symptom only appears on fruit, and did not find it on this plant. The incidence of this disease in postharvest E. conferta fruits ranges from 45 % to 65 % in natural conditions. This pathogen is harmful and causes many plant diseases. Such as rice, oriental persimmon, pear, panicles of mango, and so on (Cho & Shin, 2004; Guillén-Sánchez et al., 2007; Lee et al., 2009). The infected fruit samples surface was disinfected with 75 % ethanol and 0.3 % NaClO for 30 s and 2 min respectively, then aseptic water washing three times. The fruit tissue is rich in carbohydrates and water content, which aid the growth of fungal species. Putting these diseased tissues on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, cultured at 25 ± 1 ℃ for 7 days. The colonies grow on the PDA medium, then separated and puried again. Three pure cultures (YNGH01, YNGH03, YNGH05) were obtained, which were stored in 15 % glycerol at -80 ℃ refrigerator in the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan Agricultural University. After 7 days of cultivation, the colonies were round and the diameter attained up to 38 mm, the surface of the colony showed tiled, fluffy, with a velvet-like texture, greyish-green to smoke-gray, slightly raised in the middle, the edges were radial hollow and wrinkle (Fig. 1A). Conidiophores were solitary, erect, unbranched or rarely branched, slightly flexuous at the apex, septate, dark brown, 254 to 680 µm long, 3.6 to 4.5 µm wide, top of the conidiophores or the rostral were slightly swollen (Fig. 1B). Conidia were light gray or grey, solitary or bispora, irregular in shape and size (Fig. 1C), nearly circular (3.21 × 3.31 µm), oval to lemon-shaped (6.59 × 3.21 µm) or elliptical (8.35 × 4.65 µm). The CTAB method extracts 3 isolates (YNGH01, YNGH03, YNGH05) genomic DNA (Aboul-Maaty & Oraby, 2019). To confirm identity with molecular identification, performed by three different genomic DNA regions, fragments of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF-1α), and actin (ACT) genomic regions. These genomic DNA were amplified with primers ITS1/4, EF1-728F/986R, and ACT-512F/783R, respectively (Carbone & Kohn, 1999). The sequences of these isolates were uploaded to GenBank (YNGH01: ON753810, ON868696, ON912090 YNGH03: ON753812, ON868698, ON912092, and YNGH05: ON753814, ON868700, ON912094). NCBI's BLASTn search of those ITS sequences showed 99.81% similar to C. tenuissimum (MG873077.1), and sequences TEF-1α and ACT were 100% identical to several isolates of C. tenuissimum (OM256526.1 and MT154171.1). Combined the ITS region, TEF-1α, and actin (ACT) genomic regions of isolates YNGH01, YNGH03 and YNGH05 to construct a phylogenetic tree with MEGA11. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses further confirmed the results (Fig. 2)(Santos et al., 2020). Healthy and mature E. conferta fruits were used for pathogenicity test. Pathogens were washed with sterilized water at a final concentration of 2× 106 spores/mL (Jo et al., 2018). The test was divided into A and B groups (A: The surface of fruits was pierced with a sterilized needle that carried pathogenic fungus of final concentration at 2×106 spores/mL B: Sprayed at the concentration of 2×106 spores/mL on fruits). The control fruits were treated with sterilized water and stored at 25 ± 1 ℃ with a relative humidity of 80 %, average group with 10 fruits in this test, which was repeated three times. After 7 days, the fruits of group A were initially sesame seed size of the disease spots, nearly round, irregular, with grayish-brown spots, and slightly depressed. Later, the lesion gradually turns dark brown (Fig. 1D). And group B began with small patches of brown fungal growth on the pericarp, with the development of the disease, the necrotic spots enlarged and developed irregular and coalesced, the color of spots became gray or black gradually (Fig. 1E). The symptoms were similar to previously observed and the pathogen was reisolated and identified as C. tenuissimum. Control fruits were healthy (Fig. 1F). The pathogens test fulfilled Koch's postulates. According to morphology (Bensch et al., 2012), rDNA-ITS, TEF-1α, and ACT sequence analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and pathogenicity test, the pathogen was identified as C. tenuissimum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. tenuissimum occurring on E. conferta fruits in China.

[Network Meta-analysis of Qi-supplementing and Yin-nourishing Chinese patent medicines in treatment of early diabetic nephropathy].

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Qi-supplementing and Yin-nourishing Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of early diabetic nephropathy(DN) by network Meta-analysis to explore the Chinese patent medicine with optimal efficacy and provide references for preventing renal deterioration and delaying the progression of early DN. Eight databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched for clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Qi-supplementing and Yin-nourishing Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of early DN. After the literature mee-ting the inclusion criteria was screened, the quality of the literature was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and network Meta-analysis was performed using the BUGSnet package in R 4.2.1. Seventy-two research articles with a sample size of 6 344 cases were included, involving eight Chinese patent medicines and seven outcome indicators. The results of the network Meta-analysis showed that(1)in terms of improving urinary albumin excretion rate(UAER), Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional treatment were superior to conventional treatment, and Qiyao Xiaoke Capsules + conventional treatment was optimal.(2)In terms of reducing serum crea-tinine(Scr), Bailing Capsules + conventional treatment had superior efficacy.(3)In terms of reducing 24-hour urine total protein(24hUTP), Shenyan Kangfu Tablets + conventional treatment and Jinshuibao Capsules + conventional treatment had equivalent efficacy, and Shenyan Kangfu Tablets + conventional treatment was superior.(4)In terms of improving fasting blood glucose(FBG), Shenyan Kangfu Tablets + conventional treatment had superior efficacy.(5)In terms of improving total cholesterol(TC), Qiyao Xiaoke Capsules +conventional treatment had superior efficacy.(6)In terms of reducing triglyceride(TG), Bailing Capsules + conventional treatment had superior efficacy.(7)In terms of safety, the occurrence of adverse reactions was reported in seven interventions, but due to the large clinical heterogeneity, the quantitative analysis could not be performed. Overall, Qi-supplementing and Yin-nourishing Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional treatment were superior to conventional treatment alone in the treatment of early DN. The results showed that Qi-supplementing and Yin-nourishing Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional treatment had good clinical efficacy, and they could significantly reduce renal function indicators such as UAER, Scr, and 24hUTP, and reduce blood sugar and blood lipid, which can provide evidence-based support for the treatment of early DN. However, due to the differences in the quantity and quality of the included research articles, large-sample, multi-center, high-quality studies are still needed for further verification.

CD44 v5 domain inhibition represses the polarization of Th2 cells by interfering with the IL-4/IL-4R signaling pathway.

The balance between T helper type 1 (Th1) and T helper type 2 (Th2) cells is critical for both innate and acquired immune reactions. However, the precise mechanisms of T helper-cell differentiation remain unclear. As an important T-cell activation molecule, CD44 participates in the differentiation of Th1 and Th2 cells. We demonstrated that CD44 variant exon v5 (CD44 v5) is highly expressed by induced human Th2 cells. To investigate the role of the CD44 v5 domain in Th2 cell differentiation, we treated human CD4+ T cells with anti-CD44v5 antibody and observed that the levels of phosphorylated STAT6 and GATA3 and the secretion of interleukin-4 (IL-4) were significantly decreased after the treatment. We also further found that the inhibition of Th2 differentiation was caused by the degradation of the alpha chain of IL-4 receptor (IL-4Rα), the CD44 v5 domain colocalized with IL-4Rα on cell surface and the degradation of IL-4Rα increased after CD44 v5 domain blocking or ablating. Our results indicated that CD44v5 antibody treatment interrupted the interaction between CD44 v5 domain and IL-4Rα, but the CD44 v5 domain blockage would not spoil the colocalization between IL-4R expression and T-cell receptor and the immunological synapse formation; similar results were also found in CD44v5-deficient CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, we revealed the function of the CD44 v5 domain in Th2 cell differentiation; blocking or ablating the CD44 v5 domain could accelerate IL-4Rα degradation and then induce the Th2 cell inhibition.

Comparison of Biological Characteristics of Different Paranasal Sinus Mucosa in Goats.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Prosthetic implants are the primary treatment for patients with edentulism. This study aims to explore and compare the biological characteristics of mucosal thickness and tensile strength of the paranasal sinuses (maxillary and frontal sinuses) in goats, thereby providing a theoretical basis and guidance for mucosa-related problems involved in maxillary sinus lifting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The paranasal sinus mucosa (maxillary sinus crest, maxillary sinus floor and frontal sinus mucosa) was obtained from the goats for use in maxillary sinus lifting. The mucosa was made into tissue section specimens and evaluated by a computer with built-in screenshot software and an optical microscope with a graduated eyepiece. A total of 3 readings were randomly selected and recorded. The mucosa was clamped with a laboratory-made clamp device. After connecting the push-pull meter, the mucosa exposed by the inner ring of the clamp device was pressed vertically and uniformly until it ruptured. The strength value was read and recorded. The left and right ends of the mucosa were connected with the clamp device; horizontal tension was applied evenly to the mucosa until the mucosa ruptured. The strength value was read and recorded. The normality test, analysis of variance, LSD pairwise comparison and linear regression were performed for each group of data. RESULTS: The thicknesses of the maxillary sinus crest mucosa, floor mucosa and frontal sinus mucosa in goats were 410.03 ± 65.97 um, 461.33 ± 91.37 um and 216.90 ± 46.47 um, respectively. There were significant differences between the maxillary sinus crest and frontal sinus and the maxillary sinus floor and frontal sinus (P < .05). The range of tensile strength of the maxillary sinus crest mucosa, floor mucosa and frontal sinus mucosa in goats was 0.48 ± 0.10 kg, 0.54 ± 0.11kg and 0.20 ± 0.05kg, respectively. There were significant differences between the maxillary sinus crest and frontal sinus and the maxillary sinus floor and frontal sinus (P < .05). Tensile strength was positively correlated with the thickness of the mucosa of the maxillary and frontal sinuses (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The mucosal thickness and tensile strength of the maxillary sinus crest and floor were greater than those of the frontal sinus mucosa. There was a positive correlation between the tensile strength and the thickness of the mucosa.

First Report of a New Postharvest Disease of Pear Fruit Caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata in Kunming, China.

Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia (Burm.f.) Nakai) is widely planted in China and plays a key role in economy. In the autumn of 2016, five pear fruits showing symptoms of brown rot (Fig. 1A) were found in a Suancun farmer market in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China (25°02' N; 102°42' E). The incidence of this disease in postharvest pear fruits ranged from 2 % to 5 % in this city. Three fruit samples were taken to run further tests. The decayed area of the fruit was soft, brown, slightly sunken, and circular. Carrot baiting was used to isolate the pathogen from symptomatic tissue (Moller et al. 1968). Primary isolates were made by transferring ascospore drops from the tips of the perithecia formed on the carrot discs onto PDA plates. Single ascospore cultures were generated by transferring single ascospores to potatoe dextrose agar (PDA) plates. Cultures were incubated 7 days at 25°C with a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle. In culture, mycelium was initially white, turned to a shallow celadon and gradually to grey-greenish later. Measurements were made 10 days after the formation of perithecia. Six pure cultures (lik-1~lik-6) were stored at -80 °C in 15% glycerol and stored at the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources of Yunnan Agricultural University. Four isolates (lik-1~lik-4) produced ascomatal bases that were submerged in the agar. Bases (Fig. 1E) were globose, black, 192.15 to 250.81 µm wide, 192.94 to 251.31 µm long, and had straight necks terminating in ostiolar hyphae (Fig. 1F) that were divergent, hyaline, and 74.19 to 116.33 µm long. Asci were not observed. Ascospores (Fig. 1I) were ovoid, hat-shaped (dimensions 3.2 to 5.1 × 2.3 to 4.6 µm). Conidiogenous cells were with enteroblastic conidium ontogeny, flask-shaped or tubular, 65.3 to 130.6 µm long, and produced cylindrical, straight aseptate conidia (8.5 to 18 × 2.5 to 3.5 µm) (Fig.1 G). All isolates produced dark brown, 10.07 to 13.08 ×8.51 to 11.64 µm aleurioconidia (Fig. 1H). Two (lik-1, lik-3) of six isolates were used for molecular identification and genomic DNA was extracted using the CTAB method (Lee & Taylor 1990). The primers ITS1 and ITS4, EF1F and EF2R were used to amplify and sequence the rDNA-ITS and TEF-1α regions (Thorpe et al. 2005; Jacobs et al. 2004). The sequences of rDNA-ITS of the isolates lik-1 and lik-3 (GenBank Accession Nos: MF153994, MF153993) showed 99.49% similarity to AF395679 (C. fimbriata isolate CMW2219). Additionally, the TEF-1α sequences of isolates lik-1 and lik-3 (GenBank Accession Nos: KY708912, KY708915) showed 100% identify to MF347676 (C. fimbriata isolate CM18). Based on symptoms, morphological characteristics, rDNA-ITS and TEF1-α sequence analysis and pathogenicity, this fungus was identified as C. fimbriata. Pathogenicity tests were conducted using 2 isolates (lik-1, lik-3) and repeated three times. Three fresh pear fruits were disinfected with 75% alcohol, then they were wounded with a 2 mm hole punch and inoculated with 200 µL conidia suspension of the fungus (approximately 2.0 × 106 conidia / mL) on the fruit surface. After inoculation pear fruits were incubated in boxes at 25°C with a relative humidity of 80% and a 12-h light / 12-h dark cycle. Three pear fruits that served as controls were wounded by punching a 2 mm hole into the skin and inoculated with 200 µL sterile distilled water. Symptoms of rot were observed one week after inoculation (Fig.1 B). The diameter of the external lesion varied from 1.5 to 2.5 cm, on average 1.9 cm. When pears were cut, the white pulp had turned black and was rotting (Fig.1 C, D). The pathogen re-isolated from all inoculated symptomatic tissue was identical to the isolates originally obtained from the pear fruits at the market by morphology and ITS analysis. No symptoms developed on the control. The pathogenicity assay showed that C. fimbriata was pathogenic on pears. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fimbriata on pear in China. The spread of this disease may pose a threat to pear quality in China and further studies could be performed to determine effective disease management strategies.

Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning vs open reduction and internal fixation in pediatric lateral condylar humerus fractures displaced by > 4 mm: an observational cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is recommended for lateral condylar humerus fractures (LCHFs) displaced by > 4 mm, several studies have reported the use of closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) to treat LCHFs with significant displacement. However, little is known about the clinical differences between these two surgical techniques. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of CRPP and ORIF in treating LCHFs displaced by > 4 mm. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed pediatric LCHFs displaced by > 4 mm treated with either CRPP or ORIF at our center from June 2019 to October 2020. Song and Milch fracture classifications were used. Variables such as age at injury, sex, side injured, fracture displacement, fracture type, operating time, postoperative treatment, and complications were compared between the two techniques. RESULTS: One hundred twenty LCHFs met inclusion criteria. There were 36 Milch type I and 84 type II LCHFs, and 69 Song stage 4 and 51 stage 5 LCHFs. CRPP was performed in 45 cases and ORIF in 75 cases. No differences were found in age, sex, side injured, preoperative displacement, postoperative displacement, and length of immobilization between the CRPP and ORIF groups. There was a difference between operation time and pin duration. The CRPP group had shorter operation times and pin duration, and required no additional operations to remove internal pins. The average follow-up duration was 13.9 months. All patients achieved fracture union, and no complications such as infection, nonunion, delayed union, osteonecrosis, fishtail deformity, cubitus varus or valgus, or pain were recorded during follow-up. Bone spurs, lateral prominences, and decreased carrying angle were common complications in all groups. No obvious cubitus varus was observed. Unaesthetic scars were only observed in the ORIF groups. No differences in range of motion or elbow function was found among the different therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Both CRPP and ORIF can achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes in treating LCHFs displaced by > 4 mm. No differences were found in complications or prognoses between the two groups. However, CRPP shows some advantages over ORIF, like less invasive surgery, no obvious scarring, and no need for secondary surgery with anesthesia for pin removal.

LncRNA KCNA2-AS regulates spinal astrocyte activation through STAT3 to affect postherpetic neuralgia.

OBJECTIVES: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster, but the mechanism of PHN is still unclear. Activation of spinal astrocytes is involved in PHN. Our study aims to explore whether lncRNA KCNA2 antisense RNA (KCNA2-AS) regulates spinal astrocytes in PHN through signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). METHODS: Varicella zoster virus (VZV)-infected CV-1 cells were injected into rats to construct a PHN model. Primary spinal cord astrocytes were activated using S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO). Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; marker of astrocyte activation), phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3), and KCNA2-AS were analyzed by immunofluorescence and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation were used to detect binding of KCNA2-AS to pSTAT3. RESULTS: KCNA2-AS was highly expressed in the spinal cord tissue of PHN model rats, and was positively correlated with GFAP expression. GFAP was significantly increased in GSNO-induced cells, but the knockdown of KCNA2-AS reversed this result. Meanwhile, pSTAT3 was significantly increased in GSNO-induced cells, but knockdown of KCNA2-AS reduced pSTAT3 within the nucleus while the total pSTAT3 did not change significantly. pSTAT3 bound to KCNA2-AS and this binding increased with GSNO treatment. Furthermore, knockdown of KCNA2-AS in PHN model rats relieved mechanical allodynia. CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of KCNA2-AS alleviates PHN partly by reducing the translocation of pSTAT3 cytoplasm to the nucleus and then inhibiting the activation of spinal astrocytes.

Identification of gene modules associated with survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP-based chemotherapy.

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), a heterogeneous disease, is influenced by complex network of gene interactions. Most previous studies focused on individual genes, but ignored the importance of intergenic correlations. In current study, we aimed to explore the association between gene networks and overall survival (OS) of DLBCL patients treated with CHOP-based chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide combination with doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted to obtain insights into the molecular characteristics of DLBCL. Ten co-expression gene networks (modules) were identified in training dataset (n = 470), and their associations with patients' OS after chemotherapy were tested. The results were validated in four independent datasets (n = 802). Gene ontology (GO) biological function enrichment analysis was conducted with Metascape. Three modules (purple, brown and red), which were enriched in T-cell immune, cell-cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM), respectively, were found to be related to longer OS. Higher expression of several hub genes within these three co-expression modules, for example, LCP2 (HR = 0.77, p = 5.40 × 10-2), CD2 (HR = 0.87, p = 6.31 × 10-2), CD3D (HR = 0.83, p = 6.94 × 10-3), FYB (HR = 0.82, p = 1.40 × 10-2), GZMK (HR = 0.92, p = 1.19 × 10-1), FN1 (HR = 0.88, p = 7.06 × 10-2), SPARC (HR = 0.82, p = 2.06 × 10-2), were found to be associated with favourable survival. Moreover, the associations of the modules and hub genes with OS in different molecular subtypes and different chemotherapy groups were also revealed. In general, our research revealed the key gene modules and several hub genes were upregulated correlated with good survival of DLBCL patients, which might provide potential therapeutic targets for future clinical research.

Cutting Edge: Protection by Antiviral Memory CD8 T Cells Requires Rapidly Produced Antigen in Large Amounts.

Numerous attempts to produce antiviral vaccines by harnessing memory CD8 T cells have failed. A barrier to progress is that we do not know what makes an Ag a viable target of protective CD8 T cell memory. We found that in mice susceptible to lethal mousepox (the mouse homolog of human smallpox), a dendritic cell vaccine that induced memory CD8 T cells fully protected mice when the infecting virus produced Ag in large quantities and with rapid kinetics. Protection did not occur when the Ag was produced in low amounts, even with rapid kinetics, and protection was only partial when the Ag was produced in large quantities but with slow kinetics. Hence, the amount and timing of Ag expression appear to be key determinants of memory CD8 T cell antiviral protective immunity. These findings may have important implications for vaccine design.

Effects of multidose simvastatin co-administration on pharmacokinetic profile of apatinib in rats by UPLC-MS/MS.

Apatinib, a small molecule anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor is used extensively to treat advanced gastric cancer and simvastatin (SV) is often co-prescribed to treat cardiovascular disease in cancer patients. As both apatinib and SV are metabolized primarily by cytochrome P450 variant CYP3A4, they are likely to interact. Therefore, the potential effect of SV co-administration on pharmacokinetics of apatinib in Sprague-Dawley male rats is demonstrated for the first time.Sixteen rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 8), 2 mg/kg SV orally co-administrated for seven days (group B) and the corresponding control group (group A). Apatinib concentrations of rat plasma samples were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using non compartmental methods.Co-administration of SV for seven days significantly increased area under curve (AUC(0-t)), AUC(0-∞) and maximum plasma concentration of apatinib by 2.4-, 2.4-, and 2.7-fold, respectively while decreasing apparent volume of distribution and clearance by 81.7 and 73.9%, respectively.These findings suggest that concomitant administration of SV with 7 days may have inhibited the metabolism of apatinib in rats.

Measurement error estimation and calibration for on-line detection phase variations in the laser-induced damage growth features of optical components.

The amplitude and phase distributions of reflection or transmission light are locally disturbed by damage regions. The damage state of optical components under successive laser irradiation can be evaluated according to the phase variation of a transmitted beam. The measurement accuracy of phase information related to the phase-unwrapping method is a critical factor for evaluating the damage state. This study analyzes and compares the performance of two important phase-unwrapping methods for detecting on-line large damage sites based on optimal modified lateral shearing interferometry. Meanwhile, the system stability and the measurement repeatability are also validated according to the retrieved phase pattern, which is beneficial to estimating the measurement accuracy. Experimental results of optical films are also presented and discussed to verify the feasibility of the estimation method utilized and the recommended phase-unwrapping method for on-line detection of the laser-induced damage growth features.

Treatment of pediatric lateral condylar humerus fractures with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning.

BACKGROUND: Lateral condylar humerus fractures (LCHFs) are the second most common pediatric distal humerus fractures. Open reduction and internal fixation is recommended for fractures displaced by more than 2 mm. Few studies described using closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) for treating fractures with greater displacements. This study aims to explore the feasibility of CRPP in treating displaced LCHFs. METHODS: All patients underwent attempted CRPP first. Once a satisfying reduction was obtained, as determined using fluoroscopy based on the relative anatomical position of the fragments, an intraoperative arthrogram was performed to further confirm the congruence of the articular surface of the distal humerus. Open reduction is necessary to ensure adequate reduction if the fracture gap is more than 2.0 mm on either anteroposterior view or oblique internal rotational view by fluoroscopy after CRPP. All included fractures were treated by a single pediatric surgeon. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were included, 29 boys and 17 girls, with an average age of 5.2 years. Of these, 22/28 (78%) Jakob type II fractures and 14/18 (78%) Jakob type III fractures were treated with CRPP. All cases in Song stages II and III, 19/25 (76%) cases in Song stage IV, and 14/18 (78%) cases of Song stage V were treated with CRPP. The remaining converted to open reduction with internal fixation. Overall, 36 of the 46 patients (78%) were treated with CRPP. The average pre-op displacement was 7.2 mm, and the average post-op displacement was 1.1 mm on the anteroposterior or oblique internal rotational radiograph in cases treated with CRPP. CRPP was performed in an average of 37 min. The average casting period was 4 weeks and the average time of pin removal was 6 weeks postoperatively. The average time of follow-up was 4 months. All patients achieved union, regardless of closed or open reduction. No infection, delayed union, cubitus varus or valgus, osteonecrosis of the trochlea or capitellum, or pain were recorded during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning effectively treats LCHFs with displacement more than 4 mm. More than 3/4 of Song stage V or Jakob type III patients can avoid an incision.

Combination of Azithromycin and Gentamicin for Efficient Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections.

BACKGROUND: Trans-translation is a ribosome rescue system that plays an important role in bacterial tolerance to environmental stresses. It is absent in animals, making it a potential treatment target. However, its role in antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa remains unknown. METHODS: The role and activity of trans-translation during antibiotic treatment were examined with a trans-translation-deficient strain and a genetically modified trans-translation component gene, respectively. In vitro assays and murine infection models were used to examine the effects of suppression of trans-translation. RESULTS: We found that the trans-translation system plays an essential role in P. aeruginosa tolerance to azithromycin and multiple aminoglycoside antibiotics. We further demonstrated that gentamicin could suppress the azithromycin-induced activation of trans-translation. Compared with each antibiotic individually, gentamicin and azithromycin combined increased the killing efficacy against planktonic and biofilm-associated P. aeruginosa cells, including a reference strain PA14 and its isogenic carbapenem-resistance oprD mutant, the mucoid strain FRD1, and multiple clinical isolates. Furthermore, the gentamicin-azithromycin resulted in improved bacterial clearance in murine acute pneumonia, biofilm implant, and cutaneous abscess infection models. CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment with gentamicin and azithromycin is a promising strategy in combating P. aeruginosa infections.

Exogenous H2S reduces the acetylation levels of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes via regulating the NAD+-SIRT3 pathway in cardiac tissues of db/db mice.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous molecule, is involved in modulating multiple physiological functions, such as antioxidant, antihypertension, and the production of polysulfide cysteine. H2S may inhibit reactive oxygen species generation and ATP production through modulating respiratory chain enzyme activities; however, the mechanism of this effect remains unclear. In this study, db/db mice, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and H9c2 cells treated with high glucose, oleate, and palmitate were used as animal and cellular models of type 2 diabetes. The mitochondrial respiratory rate, respiratory chain complex activities, and ATP production were decreased in db/db mice compared with those in db/db mice treated with exogenous H2S. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that the acetylation level of proteins involved in the mitochondrial respiratory chain were increased in the db/db mice hearts compared with those with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) treatment. Exogenous H2S restored the ratio of NAD+/NADH, enhanced the expression and activity of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) and decreased mitochondrial acetylation level in cardiomyocytes under hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. As a result of SIRT3 activation, acetylation of the respiratory complexe enzymes NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1), ubiquinol cytochrome c reductase core protein 1, and ATP synthase mitochondrial F1 complex assembly factor 1 was reduced, which enhanced the activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain activity and ATP production. We conclude that exogenous H2S plays a critical role in improving cardiac mitochondrial function in diabetes by upregulating SIRT3.